The association between prolactin concentration and aggression in female patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

Objectives

This study assessed the association between serum prolactin (PRL) concentration and aggression in female patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

Female patients with schizophrenia (N = 120) were diagnosed using SCID-5 based on the DSM-5 criteria. They were sampled at the University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce during the period from March 2017 to March 2019. Aggression was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Overt Aggression Scale (OAS). Patients were subdivided into aggressive and non-aggressive groups. PRL was determined in serum using electrochemiluminescence (ECLIA) method.

Results

Aggressive patients with schizophrenia had significantly (p < 0.0001) increased PRL concentration compared to non-aggressive patients. Higher PRL concentration was significantly (p < 0.0001) associated with pronounced aggressive symptoms determined by the OAS scores. When patients were subdivided into those who were treated with risperidone, haloperidol, paliperidone, amisulpride, and a group that was not treated with these antipsychotics, aggressive patients in both groups had significantly higher PRL concentrations than non-aggressive patients. Higher antipsychotic dose was related to increased PRL concentration (p = 0.004).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that higher PRL is significantly associated with aggression, irrespective of the antipsychotic medication, in female patients with schizophrenia.

Keywords:

• Prolactin
• hyperprolactinaemia
• aggression
• schizophrenia
• antipsychotic medication

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all patients who participated in this study as well as to the staff of University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce and Ruder Boskovic Institute. This study was a part of the doctoral thesis of the first author, Kresimir Puljic.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for this research. University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, School of Medicine, Zagreb supported the study by providing participants.